England’s top order has once again been embarrassingly skittled by New Zealand, as doubts continue to swirl around the side’s Ashes preparation.
Batting first in the third and final ODI in Wellington, England was reduced to 5 for 44 after barely 10 overs.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the collapse saw England replace Bangladesh with a new record for the fewest runs scored by the top four batsmen in any international ODI series or tournament.
Across the three-match ODI series in New Zealand, England’s top four could muster just 84 runs between them—five runs worse than Bangladesh who set the previous record in 1988.
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Making matters even more concerning for England, four of the five batsmen to fall cheaply in Wellington are set to play major roles in the upcoming Ashes Test series in Australia.
Former England captain Joe Root fell for just two runs, failing to manage a ball that seamed back from outside off stump.
Opener Ben Duckett made just eight before being caught lofting a misjudged pull shot.
ODI captain Harry Brook was aggressive from his first ball, yet made just six runs before being caught in the slips trying to guide a ball behind point for a single.
Meanwhile Test newcomer Jacob Bethell, 22, was the last of the quartet to go, caught in the slips for 11 after slashing at a ball that moved away off the seam.
The latest collapse comes just days after Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan expressed grave fears over England’s ability to cope with the added bounce and movement of Australian pitches.
It seems unlikely anything he’s seen in Wellington will provide much solace.